The VBA Legislative Blawg is the law-related blog of Bob Paolini our government relations guru at the VBA. Bob will keep you apprised of the happenings in the Legislature and keep members up-to-date with pressing legal issues affecting the practice of law in Vermont

For those of you following H. 600, the foreclosure mediation bill, yesterday the Senate amended the bill by adding the following:

By striking out the First proposal of amendment in its entirety.Sec. 4a. 12 V.S.A.§ 4633(e) is amended to read:

(e)(1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, the mediator may permit a party identified in subdivision (d)(1) of this section to
participate in mediation by telephone or teleconferencing.
(2) The following parties shall be physically present at the mediation:
(A) the mortgagor, or a person with decision-making authority for the
mortgagor; and
(B) the mortgagee, or a person with decision-making authority for the
mortgagee.

The bill then passed the Senate and was messaged back to the House. The House Judiciary Committee wasted no time in rejecting these changes and on today's house calendar you'll find the following:

Rep. Koch of Barre Town moves that the House concur in the Senate
proposal of amendment with the following additional proposals of amendment
First: In Sec. 2, 12 V.S.A. § 4631, in subsection (c), by striking the words
“a randomized” and inserting in lieu thereof the words “an objective and
neutral”
Second: By striking Sec. 4a in its entirety.

So it continues. After your emails to me and to the list serve of mediators yesterday I bundled them and delivered them (with names redacted) to certain members of both chambers. I'm sure that those emails, along with any of the calls, emails or letters you sent directly, were the reason for the no votes on the Senate floor and for the swift action in the house committee. Stay tuned.Thanks for reading.